As wildfires erupted, a heat wave settled in, and drought conditions expanded across the United States, Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) delegates collaborated to keep the EDEN Fire (Wildfire), Heat Wave—Extreme Heat, and Drought Topic Pages up-to-date with current conditions and collected resources. For example, Texas and Colorado resources, along with eXtension resources (in particular, the Wildfire and Water Conservation for Lawn and Landscape Communities of Practice), are highlighted on the Fire (Wildfire) page.
In addition to basic information about the types of drought and drought impacts, the Drought Topic Page includes links to USDA Disaster and Drought Assistance, hay hotlines, relevant blogs and Facebook pages, special tools, and twenty-two university drought sites. EDEN activated its Response Notes system, providing a venue for states to update their status and helping USDA/NIFA stay on top of Extension activities.
EDEN hosted conference calls focusing on wildfire and drought in June and July, and a conference call in June introducing Next48. This weather dashboard aggregates weather maps and other disaster status maps customized by state. It is designed as a one-stop source for an immediate overview of current weather, forecasts, radar, flood status, drought monitor, flu information, and more.
The Fire (Wildfire) and Drought pages also connect to eXtension. Building on the ongoing conversations and responding through eXtension to identified needs, EDEN collaborated with other eXtension CoPs to highlight wildfire resources and to build a public Drought Resources page. The page features resources (with links to Beef Cattle and Water Conservation for Lawn and Landscape CoP content and to external resources) for agricultural producers and homeowners alike. This page and the EDEN Drought Topic Page are works in progress as the drought continues.
